Technikatörténeti szemle 22. (1996)
Papers from the Second International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Eger, Hungary, 16–19 August, 1995) - Pérez-Bustamente, A. Juan: The Holistic Concept of Alchemy
Specially illustrative is the considerable number of books dedicated to the different humanistic aspects of alchemy 4257 , which justify a number of considerations made in the preceding lines. The growing interest on alchemy is a consequence of the progressive dedication of historians of Science to this subject together with a perceptible though yet weak movement to introduce the teaching of History of Chemistry in the university curriculum. Unfortunatedly and contrary to what is the case with other experimental sciences (Medicine, Pharmacy, Physics, Mathematics) which have a consolidated tradition in the study of their corresponding histories chemists have cared very little up to now to know their professional history and worst of all tend to consider such a study rather unlovingly as a matter of exclusive humanistical concern not to be taught by chemists in chemical curricula. Fortunatedly such a traditional trend is giving way, though slowly, to a more realistic professional consideration which has resulted in the inclusion of History of Chemistry in a growing number of chemical curricula throughout the world. Let us hope that such a trend will find continuation and strengthening in the inmediate future! The actual situation, trends and obstacles related to the study and teaching of alchemy and chemistry within the frame of History of Science has been critically analysed by different authors 5860 . A very positive sign of the growing interest on the history of Alchemy and Chemistry can be deduced from the increasing number of facsimilar reeditions of many Historical books dealing with these subjects published from the XVI-th c. to the XIX-th c, some of which are considered in the section of references of the present paper. Of particular significance is the trend observed to reedite a number of "classics" from the XIX-th century and even a few "classics" of our actual century! Given the peculiarities of the obscure "hermetic" language associated with alchemy suitable keys to enter into the corresponding linguistic barrier are needed in order to profit from the reading of alchemical literature, specially in connection with the huge amount of publications covering from the scholastic period to the XVIII-th c. Altough the complete fulfillment of such a task is practically imposible a lot of informational aid can be extracted from a few classical alchemical exoteric 61 and esoteric 62 dictionaries as well as from a few facsimilar reeditions of old consecrated books on alchemy, practical chemistry or chemical metallurgy 6366 . The present universal interest on occultism and secret sciences has resulted in the elaboration of a number of dictionaries on symbolisms 67 " 69 which may prove of great utility to understand a great amount of alchemical symbolism and correspondences.
